Total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex of student, and control of institution: Selected years, 1947 through 2026

Year

Totalenrollment

Attendance status

Sex of student

Control of institution

Full-time

Part-time

Percentpart-time

Male

Female

Percentfemale

Public

Private

Total

Nonprofit

For-profit

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

19471

2,338,226

—

—

—

1,659,249

678,977

29.0

1,152,377

1,185,849

—

—

19481

2,403,396

—

—

—

1,709,367

694,029

28.9

1,185,588

1,217,808

—

—

19491

2,444,900

—

—

—

1,721,572

723,328

29.6

1,207,151

1,237,749

—

—

19501

2,281,298

—

—

—

1,560,392

720,906

31.6

1,139,699

1,141,599

—

—

19511

2,101,962

—

—

—

1,390,740

711,222

33.8

1,037,938

1,064,024

—

—

19521

2,134,242

—

—

—

1,380,357

753,885

35.3

1,101,240

1,033,002

—

—

19531

2,231,054

—

—

—

1,422,598

808,456

36.2

1,185,876

1,045,178

—

—

19541

2,446,693

—

—

—

1,563,382

883,311

36.1

1,353,531

1,093,162

—

—

19551

2,653,034

—

—

—

1,733,184

919,850

34.7

1,476,282

1,176,752

—

—

19561

2,918,212

—

—

—

1,911,458

1,006,754

34.5

1,656,402

1,261,810

—

—

1957

3,323,783

—

—

—

2,170,765

1,153,018

34.7

1,972,673

1,351,110

—

—

1959

3,639,847

2,421,016

1,218,831

2

33.5

2,332,617

1,307,230

35.9

2,180,982

1,458,865

—

—

1961

4,145,065

2,785,133

1,359,932

2

32.8

2,585,821

1,559,244

37.6

2,561,447

1,583,618

—

—

1963

4,779,609

3,183,833

1,595,776

2

33.4

2,961,540

1,818,069

38.0

3,081,279

1,698,330

—

—

1964

5,280,020

3,573,238

1,706,782

2

32.3

3,248,713

2,031,307

38.5

3,467,708

1,812,312

—

—

1965

5,920,864

4,095,728

1,825,136

2

30.8

3,630,020

2,290,844

38.7

3,969,596

1,951,268

—

—

1966

6,389,872

4,438,606

1,951,266

2

30.5

3,856,216

2,533,656

39.7

4,348,917

2,040,955

—

—

1967

6,911,748

4,793,128

2,118,620

2

30.7

4,132,800

2,778,948

40.2

4,816,028

2,095,720

2,074,041

21,679

1968

7,513,091

5,210,155

2,302,936

30.7

4,477,649

3,035,442

40.4

5,430,652

2,082,439

2,061,211

21,228

1969

8,004,660

5,498,883

2,505,777

31.3

4,746,201

3,258,459

40.7

5,896,868

2,107,792

2,087,653

20,139

1970

8,580,887

5,816,290

2,764,597

32.2

5,043,642

3,537,245

41.2

6,428,134

2,152,753

2,134,420

18,333

1971

8,948,644

6,077,232

2,871,412

32.1

5,207,004

3,741,640

41.8

6,804,309

2,144,335

2,121,913

22,422

1972

9,214,860

6,072,389

3,142,471

34.1

5,238,757

3,976,103

43.1

7,070,635

2,144,225

2,123,245

20,980

1973

9,602,123

6,189,493

3,412,630

35.5

5,371,052

4,231,071

44.1

7,419,516

2,182,607

2,148,784

33,823

1974

10,223,729

6,370,273

3,853,456

37.7

5,622,429

4,601,300

45.0

7,988,500

2,235,229

2,200,963

34,266

1975

11,184,859

6,841,334

4,343,525

38.8

6,148,997

5,035,862

45.0

8,834,508

2,350,351

2,311,448

38,903

1976

11,012,137

6,717,058

4,295,079

39.0

5,810,828

5,201,309

47.2

8,653,477

2,358,660

2,314,298

44,362

1977

11,285,787

6,792,925

4,492,862

39.8

5,789,016

5,496,771

48.7

8,846,993

2,438,794

2,386,652

52,142

1978

11,260,092

6,667,657

4,592,435

40.8

5,640,998

5,619,094

49.9

8,785,893

2,474,199

2,408,331

65,868

1979

11,569,899

6,794,039

4,775,860

41.3

5,682,877

5,887,022

50.9

9,036,822

2,533,077

2,461,773

71,304

1980

12,096,895

7,097,958

4,998,937

41.3

5,874,374

6,222,521

51.4

9,457,394

2,639,501

2,527,787

111,714

3

1981

12,371,672

7,181,250

5,190,422

42.0

5,975,056

6,396,616

51.7

9,647,032

2,724,640

2,572,405

152,235

3

1982

12,425,780

7,220,618

5,205,162

41.9

6,031,384

6,394,396

51.5

9,696,087

2,729,693

2,552,739

176,954

3

1983

12,464,661

7,261,050

5,203,611

41.7

6,023,725

6,440,936

51.7

9,682,734

2,781,927

2,589,187

192,740

1984

12,241,940

7,098,388

5,143,552

42.0

5,863,574

6,378,366

52.1

9,477,370

2,764,570

2,574,419

190,151

1985

12,247,055

7,075,221

5,171,834

42.2

5,818,450

6,428,605

52.5

9,479,273

2,767,782

2,571,791

195,991

1986

12,503,511

7,119,550

5,383,961

43.1

5,884,515

6,618,996

52.9

9,713,893

2,789,618

2,572,479

217,139

4

1987

12,766,642

7,231,085

5,535,557

43.4

5,932,056

6,834,586

53.5

9,973,254

2,793,388

2,602,350

191,038

4

1988

13,055,337

7,436,768

5,618,569

43.0

6,001,896

7,053,441

54.0

10,161,388

2,893,949

2,673,567

220,382

1989

13,538,560

7,660,950

5,877,610

43.4

6,190,015

7,348,545

54.3

10,577,963

2,960,597

2,731,174

229,423

1990

13,818,637

7,820,985

5,997,652

43.4

6,283,909

7,534,728

54.5

10,844,717

2,973,920

2,760,227

213,693

1991

14,358,953

8,115,329

6,243,624

43.5

6,501,844

7,857,109

54.7

11,309,563

3,049,390

2,819,041

230,349

1992

14,487,359

8,162,118

6,325,241

43.7

6,523,989

7,963,370

55.0

11,384,567

3,102,792

2,872,523

230,269

1993

14,304,803

8,127,618

6,177,185

43.2

6,427,450

7,877,353

55.1

11,189,088

3,115,715

2,888,897

226,818

1994

14,278,790

8,137,776

6,141,014

43.0

6,371,898

7,906,892

55.4

11,133,680

3,145,110

2,910,107

235,003

1995

14,261,781

8,128,802

6,132,979

43.0

6,342,539

7,919,242

55.5

11,092,374

3,169,407

2,929,044

240,363

1996

14,367,520

8,302,953

6,064,567

42.2

6,352,825

8,014,695

55.8

11,120,499

3,247,021

2,942,556

304,465

1997

14,502,334

8,438,062

6,064,272

41.8

6,396,028

8,106,306

55.9

11,196,119

3,306,215

2,977,614

328,601

1998

14,506,967

8,563,338

5,943,629

41.0

6,369,265

8,137,702

56.1

11,137,769

3,369,198

3,004,925

364,273

1999

14,849,691

8,803,139

6,046,552

40.7

6,515,164

8,334,527

56.1

11,375,739

3,473,952

3,055,029

418,923

2000

15,312,289

9,009,600

6,302,689

41.2

6,721,769

8,590,520

56.1

11,752,786

3,559,503

3,109,419

450,084

2001

15,927,987

9,447,502

6,480,485

40.7

6,960,815

8,967,172

56.3

12,233,156

3,694,831

3,167,330

527,501

2002

16,611,711

9,946,359

6,665,352

40.1

7,202,116

9,409,595

56.6

12,751,993

3,859,718

3,265,476

594,242

2003

16,911,481

10,326,133

6,585,348

38.9

7,260,264

9,651,217

57.1

12,858,698

4,052,783

3,341,048

711,735

2004

17,272,044

10,610,177

6,661,867

38.6

7,387,262

9,884,782

57.2

12,980,112

4,291,932

3,411,685

880,247

2005

17,487,475

10,797,011

6,690,464

38.3

7,455,925

10,031,550

57.4

13,021,834

4,465,641

3,454,692

1,010,949

2006

17,758,870

10,957,305

6,801,565

38.3

7,574,815

10,184,055

57.3

13,180,133

4,578,737

3,512,866

1,065,871

2007

18,248,128

11,269,892

6,978,236

38.2

7,815,914

10,432,214

57.2

13,490,780

4,757,348

3,571,150

1,186,198

2008

19,102,814

11,747,743

7,355,071

38.5

8,188,895

10,913,919

57.1

13,972,153

5,130,661

3,661,519

1,469,142

2009

20,313,594

12,605,355

7,708,239

37.9

8,732,953

11,580,641

57.0

14,810,768

5,502,826

3,767,672

1,735,154

2010

21,019,438

13,087,182

7,932,256

37.7

9,045,759

11,973,679

57.0

15,142,171

5,877,267

3,854,482

2,022,785

2011

21,010,590

13,002,531

8,008,059

38.1

9,034,256

11,976,334

57.0

15,116,303

5,894,287

3,926,819

1,967,468

2012

20,644,478

12,734,404

7,910,074

38.3

8,919,006

11,725,472

56.8

14,884,667

5,759,811

3,951,388

1,808,423

2013

20,376,677

12,596,610

7,780,067

38.2

8,861,197

11,515,480

56.5

14,746,848

5,629,829

3,971,390

1,658,439

2014

20,207,369

12,453,975

7,753,394

38.2

8,797,061

11,410,308

57.0

14,655,015

5,552,354

3,996,089

1,556,265

2015

19,977,270

12,290,829

7,686,441

38.2

8,721,403

11,255,867

57.0

14,568,103

5,409,167

4,063,372

1,345,795

20165

20,185,000

12,396,000

7,789,000

38.5

8,855,000

11,330,000

57.6

14,844,000

5,341,000

—

—

20175

20,413,000

12,564,000

7,849,000

38.6

8,869,000

11,544,000

57.9

15,003,000

5,410,000

—

—

20185

20,688,000

12,716,000

7,972,000

38.7

8,962,000

11,726,000

58.1

15,206,000

5,481,000

—

—

20195

21,009,000

12,899,000

8,110,000

38.8

9,082,000

11,928,000

58.2

15,443,000

5,566,000

—

—

20205

21,346,000

13,114,000

8,232,000

38.9

9,212,000

12,135,000

58.4

15,684,000

5,662,000

—

—

20215

21,659,000

13,302,000

8,357,000

39.0

9,331,000

12,328,000

58.5

15,910,000

5,749,000

—

—

20225

21,888,000

13,426,000

8,462,000

39.0

9,415,000

12,473,000

58.7

16,078,000

5,810,000

—

—

20235

22,124,000

13,569,000

8,555,000

39.1

9,499,000

12,625,000

58.8

16,251,000

5,873,000

—

—

20245

22,331,000

13,680,000

8,651,000

39.1

9,574,000

12,757,000

58.8

16,407,000

5,924,000

—

—

20255

22,504,000

13,750,000

8,754,000

39.1

9,634,000

12,870,000

58.8

16,541,000

5,962,000

—

—

20265

22,631,000

13,797,000

8,835,000

39.1

9,678,000

12,953,000

58.8

16,642,000

5,990,000

—

—

—Not available.

1 Degree-credit enrollment only.

2 Includes part-time resident students and all extension students (students attending courses at sites separate from the primary reporting campus). In later years, part-time student enrollment was collected as a distinct category.

3 Large increases are due to the addition of schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.

4 Because of imputation techniques, data are not consistent with figures for other years.

5 Projected.

NOTE: Data through 1995 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. The degree-granting classification is very similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more 2-year colleges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.